Reflector for telephone dials



Oct. 20, 1931.

F. O. EVERTS REFLECTOR FOR TELEPHONE DIIALS Filed June 20, 192a INVENTOR. fra/y/ 0 [Va/7i)? A TTORNEY Patented Oct. 20, 1931 PATENT OFFICE FRANK O. EVERTS, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI REFLECTOR FOR TELEPHONE DIALS Application filed June 20, 1928. Serial No. 286,860.

My invention relates to illuminating devices, and more particularly to reflectors, the principal objects of the invention being to illuminate the indicia on a telephone dial, to

support a reflector from the base of a tele phone instrument, to reflect light from a base-supported bulb over the dial, and to restrict rays to passage to the dial. A further object is to control the rays of light from a bulb so that the members of the dial assem bly may cooperate for reflecting light to the indicia. 1

In accomplishing these objects I have provided improved details of structure, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a telephone instrument provided with a dial-illuminating device equipped with my improved reflector.

Fig. 2 is a central cross sectioned View of the reflector and illuminating device, illustrating the means for attaching the reflector to a telephone instrument supported by the device. v

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the illuminating device.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail perspective view of the reflector.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the reflector illustrating the control of light rays thereby.

Referring in detail to the drawings:

1 designates a telephone instrument ineluding a base 2, and provided with an auto matic calling device or dial?) including a housing 4 and a disk 5 rotatably mounted on the housing in spaced relation with the upper surface or indicia-bearing face 6 thereof. The dial has openings 7 for disclosing indicia and for receiving operating means, and a finger stop 8 is supported from the housing to intercept the operating means.

A battery housing 9 constitutes a base on which the telephone instrument is supported, and contains a battery 10 connected to a switch 11 and light element 12 by wires 13 and 14, the switch being grounded in the housing at 15. The bulb is supported by, and grounded in the housing adjacent the periphery thereof, so that a bulb 16 may be positioned adjacent the dial.

The bulb is preferably positioned in alignment with the spacing 17 between the rotatable disk 5 and the face 6, whereby direct rays from the bulb may pass over the face 6 and rays moving in a downward direction may impinge the face. A relatively small number of rays from the bulb will normally touch the face to illuminate the indicia, and my improved reflector 18 is provided to enhance the illumination. 6

The reflector 18 comprises a handlike body member 19 preferably relatively rigid and continuous and having a dial-engaging portion 20 adapted to enclose a portion of the disk, and a lateral portion 21 adapted to extend over the bulb position, and a reflecting cover 22 extending across the lateral portion and including branches or Wings 23 extending toward the edge of the dial.- The cover 22 has an arcuate inner edge 24 positioned substantially in registry with the adjacent portion of the periphery of the dial, and the structure provides therefore an opening 25 through which the dial is visible and accfissible for manipulation of the rotatable 7 dis The reflector is supported from the dial by a resilient strap 26 secured to the inner face of the portion 20 of the body 19 by suitable means such as welding, the free ends 27 30 of the strap being bent towards each other and normally spaced. The strap may be constructed of spring metal to confer resiliency on the spaced ends, and elastic means are provided for connecting the ends comprising 35 for example a coil spring 28 connected with hooks 29 preferably comprising outbent reduced tips on the ends of the strap.

A recess 30 in the Wall of the body member receives an outbent portion 31 of the strap for mounting the body over the finger stop of the dial. The strap has substantially less width than the body, and is mounted thereon adjacent the lower edge thereof, so that the strap may encircle and engage the housing of the calling device while the body extends upwardly to enclose the spacing 17 and the disk.

The upper portion of the body portion 20 is inbent to compensate for the difference we dial housing. The illuminating device is energized by operating the switch. Light rays from the bulb are reflected from the inner surface of the band portion 21 of the reflector toward the dial, the cover member also receiving direct and reflected rays and reflecting them toward the dial and to portions of the band for reflection toward the dial. Rays that move horizontally, that is in a plane parallel with the face of the housing, are reflected from the inclined portions of the band downwardly to the indicia. Rays that move in a upward direction into the space between the disk and the indicia-bearing surface are caught by the under surface of the dial and reflected to the indicia. Rays movin' in a downward direction into said space i luminate the indicia.

It is apparent that a multiplicity of reflections of each ray will occur, due to the curvatures of the band like body, the inclined portion of the body, thecover, the disk and the face of the housing, whereby a high degree of illuminating efliciency for a relatively low powered light element will be produced. I

\Vhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In an automatic telephone dial illuminating device, a bulb supported substantially in the plane of the face of the dial, a reflecting band having a width substantially equal to the width of the dial and comprising a semi-circular portion positioned adj acent the dial and an elongated arcuate portion extending on the opposite side of the bulb from the dial, a cover extending over said elongated portion of the band, and means for attaching the band to the dial.

2. In an automatic telephone dial illuminating device, a bulb supported substantially in the plane of the face of the dial, a reflecting band having a width substantially equal to the width of the dial and-comprising a semi-circular portion positioned adjacent the dial and an elongated arcuate portion extending on the opposite side of the bulb from the dial, a cover extending over said elognated portion of the band, said semicircular portion having an inbent upper edge for reflecting rays downwardly to the dial face, and means for attaching the band to the dial.

3. In combination with an automatic tele phone dial and a bulb supported adjacent the face of the dial, a reflector comprising a reflecting band having a width substantially equal to the width of the dial and comprising a semi-circular portion for positioning ad acent the dial and an elongated arcuate portion extending on the opposite side of the bulb from the dial, a cover extending over said elongated portion of the band, and means for attaching the band to the dial comprising a strap having an intermediate portion fixed to the semi-circular portion of the band and elastic. means connecting the ends of the strap.

4. In combination with an automatic telephone dial and a bulb supported adjacent the face of the dial, a reflector comprising a reflecting band having a semi-circular portion for positioning adjacent the dial and an elongated arcuate portion extending on the op posite side of the bulb from the dial, and

means for mountin the band on the dial comprising a strap fixed to the semi-circular portion of the band and having hooks on its free ends, and a spring connecting the hooked ends.

5.v In combination with a telephone instrument including a dial housing, and a dial face, a reflector comprising a continuous circumferential band in reflecting relation with the dial face including a portion adapted for attachment to the housing to support the reflector and a portion extending in laterally spaced relation with said housing to accommodate a light-bulb, and a bulb located adjacent said laterally spaced portion of the reflector between said laterally spaced por- 1 tion and the dial housing.

6. In combination with a telephone instrument including a dial housing having a face provided with indicia and a source of light located in laterally spaced relation with the housing, a reflector in right angular relation to the dial face comprising an integral circumferential band including a portion at-' tached to the housing and a'portion located on the opposite side of the bulb from the housing for reflecting light to the face, the upper edge portion of the reflector adjacent the housing being inbent to reflect rays from the bulb downwardly on the face.

7. In a reflector for telephone instrument dials, a source of light located substantially in the plane of the dial face, a reflecting band comprising a semi-circular portion adj acent the dial and an elongatedportion extending on the opposite side of the source of light from the dial, the upper edge of the band extending above the dial face, and means fixed to said semi-circular portion of the band for securing said portion to the dial to support the band from the instrument.

8. In a device of the character described, in combination with a dialing device including a fixed base having a dial face, a reflector surrounding the base and having an upper edge extending above said face and having a portion adapted to be fixed to said base and a portion adapted to be spaced from the base, and means for effecting reflection of light rays from said reflector toward said face.

9. In combination with a cylindrical housing having an upper surface provided with indicia, a reflector, a circular strap fixed to the reflector, means for frictionally engaging the strap with the periphery of the housing to support the reflector adjacent said surface, and means for casting light rays on the reflector.

10. In combination with a housing including a peripheral wall'and having an upper surface provided with indicia, a reflector i11- cluding a portion having a wall conforming to the contour of one portion of said housing wall for location adjacent the housing and a portion extended to form a bulb' chamber between one portion of the housing wall and the reflector, a strap having substantially the contour of said housing wall, surrounding and engaging the periphery thereof and including a resilient element for yieldingly latching the strap to the housing, means securing the reflector to the strap, and a bulb located in said chamber.

11. In a device of the character described, a reflector comprising a semi-circular portion and an elongated portion, and a support including a circular strap having an intermediate portion fixed to said semi-circular portion of the reflector, and a coil spring connecting the free ends of said strap.

In testimony whereof I atfix my signature.

FRANK O.v EVERTS. 

